Whether you seek to add to your family through foster care, private domestic adoption or you are called to travel internationally, every adoption story is uniquely beautiful. Yet, each shares a common language of calling, loss, and hardship. As Christian parents we have a deep desire to love and shepherd our children well, but it can be challenging to navigate loss, trauma and how to best love and guide our adopted children. One thing is for sure, adoption is more than a process, it is an in ...
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Welcome to Cynthia Yanof’s newest podcast, MESSmerized. Each week you’ll hear funny, authentic, and vulnerable conversations around everyday life, parenting, and following Jesus. A variety of guests will challenge us to pursue a life filled with the things that really do matter. Cynthia Yanof is the host as well as an author, speaker, wife, and mother. She’s relatable, funny, and dead-set on never taking herself too seriously. Whatever mess you’re walking through, odds are she’s right there ...
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Episode 64 How do I best support neurodivergent children? With Somer Colbert
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I dropped JB off for his first day of second grade yesterday. He’s still at the age where he’s super excited to go back to school. I’m currently at the age where I’m happy to drop him off. Will I miss him? Absolutely. Does he need the structure? 100%. Do I pray like crazy for him to be seen, loved, and have good friends this school year? Daily. Goi…
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How to Respond to Sexual Abuse as Christian Parents with Ben Locke
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Joining me on this episode is a sexual abuse survivor and author: Ben Locke. When Ben Locke was in his darkest valleys, he was determined to tell God exactly what he thought. He poured out his agony and anger--and was met with God's grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy. He discovered in those moments that God can handle it. All of it. In this episod…
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Episode 63 How do I share my faith? With Billy Rodgers
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Oh my goodness, I can’t wait for you to hear today's show with Billy Rodgers! And despite the weird wording of the title of this show, we're talking about sharing our faith with friends and family (and not just sharing our faith with Billy Rodgers. ha!) Billy and his wife, Brandie, are some of our very dearest friends in the world. They are amazing…
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Understanding God's Heart for Adoption and Foster Care with Tim Wolkiewicz
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Joining me on this episode is animator, author, and father of four adopted children: Tim Wolkiewicz. Tim is a very talented animator who has worked on Veggietales, Hasbro’s “Transformers Rescue Bots,” Warner Brother’s “Green Eggs and Ham,” and Disney’s “Monsters At Work." He is also passionate about adoption and foster care. Him and his wife both f…
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Episode 62 How do I parent my adult-ish kids? With Lisa Clark
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I’ll never forget the time in high school when Kate and I had a disagreement, and she threw down these inflammatory words: “welllll I am 18 years old.” I believe my response was something like, “yes dear one, you’re an 18-year-old that drives our car, uses our cell phone, lives in our house, wears our clothes, and exists on our money.” (Perhaps I s…
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Mindful Parenting Recap and Colbert Family Update
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. I hope you enjoyed the Refresh episodes with Kelly Hamilton as much as I did! If we're being honest, the summer season is not always full of fun and relaxation... in fact, it can be hard, lacking consistency, and stressful! That's why I wanted to pause and remind myself of those tools for behavior and emotiona…
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Episode 61 How do I laugh (when I want to cry)? with Molly Stillman
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My family is on vacation this week, and in honor of family trips gone wrong, here’s a little summer travel excerpt from Life is Messy, God is Good: I appreciate how Home Alone completely lowered the bar on family travel expectations after the parents left Kevin at home TWICE. Not to mention that biblically speaking, Jesus’ parents lost Him for more…
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Refresher: Mindful Parenting with Kelly Hamilton Part 4
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Summer is a busy season for all families, including my own! That's why I thought this would be a great opportunity to refresh our memories with this incredible series, "Mindful Parenting" featuring my special guest: Kelly Hamilton. Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of "The Connected Life." She helps people build healthy connections to God…
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Episode 60 Sidetracked with Makayla Noble : Cynthia and Heather
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This week we have a fun show as Heather and I continue surprising each other with guests on Sidetracked. I was in charge of our guest today and I’m so excited for you to hear our conversation with Makayla Noble. If you don’t know Makayla, here’s a little background: On September 20, 2021, Makayla Noble, a world-champion cheerleader, suffered an inj…
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Refresher: Mindful Parenting with Kelly Hamilton Part 3
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Summer is a busy season for all families, including my own! That's why I thought this would be a great opportunity to refresh our memories with this incredible series, "Mindful Parenting" featuring my special guest: Kelly Hamilton. Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of "The Connected Life." She helps people build healthy connections to God…
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Episode 59 How do I find joy? With Jenna Griffith
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I’ve been trying to slow down and enjoy the “moments” this summer with my family. It slips by so quickly if we aren’t careful, and that seems especially true now that we have one in college (and another one going away in a year). Tonight we played pickle ball and let’s be clear, my kids get their athletic ability from Mike. But we laughed, watched …
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Refresher: Mindful Parenting with Kelly Hamilton Part 2
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Summer is a busy season for all families, including my own! That's why I thought this would be a great opportunity to refresh our memories with this incredible series, "Mindful Parenting" featuring my special guest: Kelly Hamilton. Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of "The Connected Life." She helps people build healthy connections to God…
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Episode 58 How do I get through my child’s hard diagnosis? With Jessica Hurlbut
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Happy 4th of July week! I’m hoping you have big plans with friends and family to celebrate our country’s Independence Day. I found a new homemade ice cream recipe this summer that’s super easy and has been a fan favorite. I’m linking it here in case you're feeling ambitious and want to give it a whirl. In continuing our “how do I series,” we have J…
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Refresher: Mindful Parenting with Kelly Hamilton Part 1
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Summer is a busy season for all families, including my own! That's why I thought this would be a great opportunity to refresh our memories with this incredible series, "Mindful Parenting" featuring my special guest: Kelly Hamilton. Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of "The Connected Life." She helps people build healthy connections to God…
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Episode 57 How do I grieve well? with Abby Rike
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“There’s no fast-tracking the grief process.” - Abby Rike My good friend Abby is with us today talking about grief and the many forms it takes. Grief is most often associated with death, but it’s also important to acknowledge the grief we face in the loss of a dream, relationships, health, and so much more. Abby reminds us that there is hope in the…
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Listener Q & A episode - Is it Trauma or is it Drama?
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, I am tackling a question submitted from a listener. I am unpacking what certain behaviors mean, how to tell if its "trauma or drama." Let's be honest, kids can act out for a number of reasons and we need to know how to respond appropriately. In this episode, I go over a variety of behaviors, signs, …
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Episode 56 Special Edition of MESSmerized: Sidetracked with Beth McCord
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I mentioned it last month, but as a little reminder, Heather MacFadyen of the Don’t Mom Alone podcast and I have a super fun show we do together called Sidetracked. As a part of this little venture, this summer we’ve decided to surprise each other with a guest and then release the episode on both of our shows. It’s been super fun so far, and we’d l…
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5 Traits of a Healthy Family with Dr. Gary Chapman
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, I am joined by Dr. Gary Chapman. Gary is an author, speaker, and counselor— and he has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages® series and the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary Travels the wo…
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Episode 55 How do I save money? With Crystal Paine
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Summer . . . I love you, but you’re chaotic and expensive. Kids . . . I love you, but you’re chaotic and expensive. Vacation . . . I love you, but you’re chaotic and expensive. Feel free to join in on my mindless chants of summer. I’m super excited about today’s show and talking about ways to save a little money. To be clear, I’m not talking about …
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, I am joined by author "M is for Mama" Abbie Halberstadt. Abbie is the busy mom of ten kiddos who also finds time to encourage Christian mamas in their calling of motherhood. As moms, we are laying the foundation for our kids to know Christ; it is a heavy responsibility but one we can do with God on …
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Episode 54 How do I love my body? with Rebecca Carrell and Liz Rodriguez
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Today we’re talking about body image, learning to love our body, and calling out the false narratives we’ve bought into from culture and other places relating to our physical body. Talking about body image kinda feels like no-man's land, and I’m thinking I might as well hit politics and money while I’m at it. Joking. But having a discussion around …
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Everything You Need to Know from an Adoption Attorney
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, our special guest is an attorney to help us answer all the legal and financial questions: Lucrece Bundy. Lucrece always had a passion for helping children but didn't expect God would call her to helping children and parents from a legal perspective. Now, she is not only a lawyer advocating for famil…
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Episode 53 How do I survive summer with my teens? Guest Ken Wilgus
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I’m going to keep this short because, well, listen to the intro and you’ll understand. But somewhere between trying out a new spray tan and finding our trampoline in our front yard after a storm—it’s gotten kinda weird over here. But thankfully, on the show is one of our faves, Dr. Ken Wilgus. We’re talking about how we survive summer with teens, a…
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Beyond the Black Trash Bag: Understanding the Calling of Foster Care
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, I am joined with the incredible Jennifer Kritner who shares her powerful story of foster care and adoption. Jennifer had a difficult time having her two biological sons but then due to some medical challenges, she was given the devastating news that she could no longer have children. Through this he…
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Episode 52 Special Edition of MESSmerized: Sidetracked with Toni Collier
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Here’s a fun little podcast update for you. As most of you (hopefully) know, Heather MacFadyen of the Don’t Mom Alone podcast and I have a little sideshow we do once a month called Sidetracked. Basically, it’s an unfiltered conversation between the two of us discussing life’s goings on, parenting, faith, etc. It comes out the first Friday of the mo…
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, I am joined with author, professor, speaker, and mother of three precious adopted children: Dr. Laurel Shaler. Laurel has co-written a book with Dr. Gary Chapman titled "Loving Adopted Children Well: A 5 Love Languages Approach" which has sparked today's conversation. Laurel and I discuss some of he…
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Episode 51 How do I deepen my friendships? Guest Amy Weatherly
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We’re answering “how to” questions these days on MESSmerized, and today we’re tackling the awesome yet complex topic of friendships. I think of all the things I’m asked to talk about from my book, most often I’m asked about the topic of friendships and how to cultivate the really deep, meaningful ones. Thankfully the queen of friendships (I made th…
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How to Reassure Your Adopted Kids They Belong
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, my special guest and I are talking about addressing the tough questions our adopted kids ask. Common ones can be "Why are you my parents?" "Why am I not with my real parents?" and "Why don't I look like you?" "Why am I different?" and so many more. We need to welcome these conversations so our kids …
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Episode 50 How do I improve my marriage? Guests Dave & Ann Wilson
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It’s week two of our new series asking “how do I _____” questions. Each week we’re bringing in amazing guests with practical advice for all areas of life. If you missed last week with Courtney DeFeo, we talked about cheering on other women, and you definitely need to go back and listen if you missed it. So so good. 🎉 This week we are tackling marri…
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Whose Am I?: Helping Your Adopted Kids Through Identity Struggles
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, my special guests and I are talking about our adopted child's experience from their perspective. They are going to have a lot of questions about their identity and who they are, and as parents we need to help them navigate this. Joined with me on this are the authors of the book "Whose Am I" Jackie …
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Episode 49 How do I cheer on other women? Guest Courtney DeFeo
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It’s May and if you’re anything like me, you’re already tired just thinking about all of the end-of-year conferences, award ceremonies, track meets, class picnics, and everything else headed our way. But don’t worry, we will survive it all together! That being said, I’m SUPER EXCITED that May is finally here because TODAY is the day we start a new …
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A Long Journey of Finding God's Goodness in Adoption and Foster Care
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This week, I am joined with a special guest who has an incredible story that needed sharing. Rebekah Finney has had a long journey to finding God's goodness in adoption and foster care, a story which many of us can relate to or understand how beautiful yet painful this calling is. Rebekah's story is exactly th…
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Episode 48 Willie Robertson talks Duck Dynasty and sharing our faith
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Have I told you this week how much my family loved Duck Dynasty? It was/is such a genius way to get people laughing while still instilling biblical truth and good old fashioned family values. The prayers around the table at the end of each show still get me. Today I have the privilege of chatting with Willie Robertson about all things Duck Dynasty,…
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Infertility and Adoption: Does One Lead to the Other?
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. Often people think infertility leads to adoption. It isn't always the case, but it can be for some. Joined with me on the podcast are authors Jenn Hesse and Kelley Ramsey who were connected from miles apart thanks to social media. They both share similar infertility stories which is what dawned their friendshi…
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Episode 47 Empty Nest Prep and Parenting Adult Children with Jim Burns
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Seeing as though I have a first-grader and all, empty nesting seems a lifetime away. But for so many of us it’s one of those things that sneaks up in an instant leaving us and wondering what’s next and how to parent these new adults in our lives. Jim Burns is an absolute delight and comes today with lots of practical information on how to prepare f…
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Parenting Foster, Adopted and Bio Siblings Together
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. It's been a while since it's just been you and me on the podcast. We've had a lot of incredible guests over the past several weeks and I just wanted to take a moment to pause and get into a common struggle with adoption and foster care, and that's how to raise all the siblings together. I offer you some practi…
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Episode 46 Parenting the various ages and stages of kids with Monica Swanson
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41:50
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I hope you enjoyed the solar eclipse yesterday and the reminders of God’s majesty and power over all things on heaven and earth. Not to mention, if the stats are accurate I’m guessing you listened to Bonnie Tyler at some point during the day because. . . . why not? Her 1983 hit song, Total Eclipse of the Heart, reached number 1 on the iTunes Top So…
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Unlimited Motherhood: When You Don't Feel Like You Have Much to Give
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. I think as parents, we can feel like we're not enough and we're limited by so many things: time, money, energy, etc. And it's true. We are limited, but it is in those limits that God makes up the difference. It is through God's unlimitedness, that we are able to overcome those challenges in parenthood. In this…
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Episode 45 Living out your faith with Candace Cameron Bure
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I come to you today with a slight problem. Okay, it’s a little bit bigger than slight. I’m a huge Candace Cameron Bure fan stemming back from Full House and bleeding all the way forward into the Hallmark Christmas movie era and now Great American Family Channel. Not to mention I’m obsessed with QVC and all of that makes me a HUGE Candace Cameron Bu…
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. Joined with me this topic which resonates so deeply with foster and adoptive parents is Nicole Unice. Nicole Unice is a bivocational leader, serving both in the ministry and in the marketplace. As a pastor and community leader, Nicole is the author of several books on healthy faith, honing in on the connection…
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Episode 44 I want God this Easter with Lisa Whittle
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I hope you’re taking some time this week to slow down and spend a few minutes pondering Holy Week and all that it means to your faith. My prayer is that we don’t come out on the other side of Easter the same way we went into it. I pray that the very reminder of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross sparks a new hope in our lives, causing us to wan…
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. Joined with me on this very important episode is Hillary Morgan Ferrer of the Mama Bear Apologetics. Hillary is the founder and President of Mama Bear Apologetics. She feels a burden for providing accessible apologetics resources for busy moms. She is the chief author and editor of the bestselling books Mama B…
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Episode 43 Where faith meets mental health: Laura Smith
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According to the CDC, mental illnesses are the most common health conditions in the United States, with more than one in five adults suffering in some capacity. I say this not to be a downer, but to provide perspective as we consider the importance of treating ourselves well and seeking out the help we need. Laura Smith is with us today talking abo…
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A Safe Media Option to Eliminate Power Struggles
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. Joined with me on this episode is Brent Dusing, creator of TruPlay which sparks today's conversation about screentime for our kids. On average, children spend 52 hours per week on a screen, and approximately 30% of kids in the U.S. today are believers... those are staggering statistics and the harsh reality is…
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Episode 42 Your next brave step with Bob Goff
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I’ve had the unbelievable fortune of interviewing Bob Goff several times over the last few years, and he never disappoints. Yes, he’s an author, podcaster, philanthropist, attorney, and much more. But I think my favorite thing is how he gives the most ordinary situations a “Bob Goff spin,” showing us how to live out the gospel in ways that are simp…
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. Joined with me today is the author and mom of both adopted and bio kids: Sara Hagerty. Sara recently published a book titled "The Gift of Limitations" which sparked this raw conversation about dealing with disappointment in this season of motherhood, naming our emotions, and working through grief. One thing th…
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Episode 41 Parenting Ahead with Kristen Hatton
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I’m so excited to have my friend Kristen Hatton with us today. Not only is she a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate, but she’s also a brand new empty nester with a great perspective on fostering relationships with our kids now in preparation for when they live away from our homes. We talk a lot about communication in today’s show, with Krist…
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. Joined with me on this episode is Adam Holz from Focus on the Family's Plugged In where he oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. Here we discuss the need as parents to be screen-savvy! We talk about establishing healthy boundaries as partners with our spouse, to be…
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Episode 40 Am I addicted to my phone? A conversation with Joey Odom
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My name is Cynthia Yanof and I’m addicted to my phone (and my watch, and Netflix, and Diet Dr. Pepper, and Mahjong . . . . too much?) Good thing Joey Odom is with us today! We’re coming in hot with a grace-filled word for those of us all of us who need to be reminded that we can’t allow technology to trump our relationships. We’re talking about nav…
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Listener Q & A: Am I Really Called to Adopt or Foster?
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Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This is a new series I'm titling Listener Q & A, where I respond to a question or comment from a listener sharing a piece of their story that may be super relatable to this calling... and super relevant to you listening at home! This question is a big one: Am I really called to adopt or foster? It is such a bi…
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